United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
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EPA strongly believes that all people should be
able to live in a clean and healthy environment.
It is the core mission of the Agency to protect
the public's health and safeguard the natural
environment in which we live, learn, and work.
EPA defines environmental justice as:
The fair treatment and meaningful
involvement of all people—
regardless of race, color, nation-
al origin, or income—with
respect to the development,
implementation, and enforce-
ment of environmental laws,
regulations, and policies.
EPA establishes the National Environmental Justice Advisory
Council (NEJAC), which provides independent advice and
recommendations to EPA on environmental justice issues.
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Minority
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Justice,
federal
by EPA.
EPA forms the Environmental Equity Work
EPA forms the Office of Environmental Equity,
which later becomes the Office of Environmental
Justice (OEJ).
OEJ establishes an internship program with the
Environmental.Careers Organization to provide
job training opportunities for students from
culturally diverse communities and tribes
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Fair treatment means that no group of people (includ-
ing a racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic group) should bear a
disproportionate share of the negative environmental con-
sequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and com-
mercial operations, or the execution of federal, state, local,
and tribal programs and policies.
Meaningful involvement means that: .
« Potentially affected community residents have an
' appropriate opportunity to participate in decision-mak-
ing about a proposed activity that will affect their envi-
ronment and/or health.
• The public's contribution can influence the regulatory
agency's decision.
• The concerns of all participants involved will be consid-
ered in the decision-making process.
• The decision-makers seek out and facilitate the involve-
ment of those potentially affected.
In sum, environmental justice is the goal to be achieved for
all communities and persons across this nation.
Environmental justice is achieved when everyone enjoys
the same degree of protection from environmental risks
and health hazards and has equal access to the decision-
making process.
I] OEJ establishes the Environmental
ijl Justice Small Grants Program to provide
•Itefi! financial assistance to communities.
OEJ issues the Model Plan for
Public Participation.
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jfeij °nenvh
iPtai process.
i|S-if!i focus or
SiMte&syssM'/""?.: •
EPA and the President's Councif for
Environmental Quality (CEQ) convenes the
1st listening session in Los Angeles.
OEJ launches the Environmental
Justice software, enabling com-
munities to learn more about
their local environment.
ar 12898,
; to Address
'Justice in
atidns and Low-
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Addressing Environmental
jystics Concerns . • • "• '"—
EPA administers and enforces environmental
laws to protect human health and the envi-
ronment of all people, including residents liv-
ing in minority and/or low-income, and tribal
communities. Securing environmental justice
i for all communities is a necessary part of the
I Agency's work to implement these laws.
1 Environmental laws provide many opportuni-
i ties to address environmental risks and haz-
' ards in affected communities.The application
1 of these existing laws is an important part of
I the Agency's efforts to prevent those commu-
• nities from being subject to disproportionate-
! ly high and adverse impacts.
EPA's environmental justice man-
date encompasses the breadth of
the Agency's work, including set-
ting standards, permitting facili-
ties, awarding grants, issuing
licenses or regulations, and
reviewing proposed actions of the
federal agencies.
While all EPA offices have the duty to address
environmental justice, the Office of
Environmental Justice (OEJ) is the entity within
EPA with the primary responsibility for
coordinating the Agency's efforts to integrate
environmental justice in all policies, programs,
and activities. OEJ also works with all stakehold-
ers to constructively engage and coliaborative-
ly address environmental issues and concerns.
-, .^ ....7_.
5 the 1st broad public meeting ?! 1WG holds the 1st American p|| IWG issues the 1st 8||| Training Collaborative j| EPA regional offices begin
nental justice in the permitting || Indian and Alaskan Native,. j||lj Environmental Justice Action ||Sj holds the 1st - pj planning listening sessions Jig
isequent public meetings p Environmental Justice g|f! Agenda, which includes 15 com- ^ Environmental Justice j'J around the country.
2Cific policy issues. ij Roundtable.
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jm munityrevitalization projects. • f|p Fundamentals Workshop, q png^SSsfSEP^^S'Ff !V^^S' ":'•"•
itinity Intern Program places students
nunity groups to learn about envi-
jstice issues at the grassroots level.
EPA Administrator issues a
fj memorandum on the inte- $
gration of environmental
!$ justice into Agency policies, B|f
| OEJ holds the 1st
?3. Alternative Dispute
& Resolution Workshop fo
EPA issues a landmark memorandum, Statutory and
Regulatory Authorities Under Which EnyironmentalJustice
Issues May Be Addressed in Permitting.
OEJ forms the National Environmental Justice Training
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